BBC Philharmonic Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
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Luscious. Shimmering. A musical art gallery.
Who’s on stage
BBC Philharmonic make the journey from Salford with conductor Ludovic Morlot and pianist Bertrand Chamayou. Who better to perform some exquisite French music than two of France’s finest?
What they’re playing
A concert dedicated to the genius of Maurice Ravel, with three of his most popular original compositions and his arrangement of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
Need to know
Price: £21 – £49
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
Maurice Ravel La valse (12′)
Maurice Ravel Valses nobles et sentimentales (16’)
Maurice Ravel Piano Concerto in D Major (Left Hand) (19’)
Modest Mussorgsky orch. Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition (35’)
Who's playing it
Ludovic Morlot conductor
Bertrand Chamayou piano
BBC Philharmonic
What's happening in the music?
Imagine walking around an art gallery. Each picture you see is radically different. Some are serene, some humorous, some bizarre, some frankly terrifying… Now imagine that in musical form, and you have Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Mussorgsky had an exceptionally inventive musical imagination and he really let rip with this piece, each picture depicted incredibly vividly, with a little ‘palate cleanse’ of a musical walk between each one.
Maurice Ravel could also paint quite the musical picture, though not always as literally as Mussorgsky. His music is always gorgeous and rich, with this concert including two waltz-inspired pieces – La Valse and Valses nobles et sentimentales – and a fascinating piano concerto for left hand only. Until you hear it, it’s hard to imagine how that sounds but the jazzy solo line soars over the orchestra and fills the hall with colour.
Big in the USA
Back in 1928 Ravel went on a huge tour of the USA, staying there for fourth months and visiting 25 cities. He was recieved like a super star. Here he is talking about his arrival in New York.
“… a swarm of journalists invaded the boat, with cameras, movie cameras, and cartoonists…. As soon as I settled down at the Langdon Hotel … the telephone didn’t stop ringing. Every minute they would bring me baskets of flowers, and of the most delicious fruits in the world. Rehearsals, teams of journalists (…) relieving one another every hour, letters, invitations to which my manager replies for me, receptions.”
While in the US he hung out with none other than George Gershwin, to hear jazz in Harlem and heard more of it while in New Orleans. The sounds of jazz found their way into his music, including the Piano Concerto you’ll gear tonight.
